Instructions

ZOOM IN by clicking on the page. A slider will appear, allowing you to adjust your zoom level. Return to the original size by clicking on the page again.

MOVE the page around when zoomed in by dragging it.

ADJUST the zoom using the slider on the top right.

ZOOM OUT by clicking on the zoomed-in page.

SEARCH by entering text in the search field and click on "In This Issue" or "All Issues" to search the current issue or the archive of back issues
respectively.
.

PRINT by clicking on thumbnails to select pages, and then press the
print button.

SHARE this publication and page.

ROTATE PAGE allows you to turn pages 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise.Click on the page to return to the original orientation. To zoom in on a rotated page, return the page to its original orientation, zoom in, and
then rotate it again.

CONTENTS displays a table of sections with thumbnails and descriptions.

ALL PAGES displays thumbnails of every page in the issue. Click on
a page to jump.

news A5
Wednesday, May 3, 2017 guardian.co.tt
Fake 'kidnap
victim' gets
$15,000 bail
SASCHA WILSON
A Penal woman who claimed
she freed herself from a car
trunk on Monday, after she was
kidnapped and held captive for
three days, allegedly fabricated
the entire story.
Reshma Maharaj, 30, appeared be-
fore a Justice of the Peace in the San
FernandoMagistrates' Court yesterday
afternoon charged with making a false
report and was subsequently granted
$15,000 own bail to reappear before a
magistrate today.
Maharaj, a secretary at a doctor's
office, was found by police officers
around 8 am on Monday along the M2
RingRoad, near the T&TEC sub-sta-
tion inDebe. She reported to PC Tre-
vor Rampersad and Sgt Morrisonthat
she was kidnappedon Friday morning
along the M2 Ring Road near La Ro-
maine. She claimed she was driving
along the M2Ring Roadwhen a vehicle
pulled in front of her and three men
came out, grabbed her and forced her
into their vehicle. She further claimed
the men kept her captive in a house
and on Monday left her in thetruck of
a car. She told police her mouth was
gagged with cloth and her hands were
bound with tape during the ordeal, but
sheescapedafter kickingout the back
seat of the car.
The police had taken the woman
for medical attention at the San Fer-
nando General Hospital before drop-
ping her home on Monday afternoon.
But following inquiresby investiga-
tors, includingRampersad, Morrison,
Insp DonGajadhar, PCHarripersadof
the Cyber Crime Unit, Maharaj was
arrested when she returned to the
San Fernando Police Station yester-
day. The charge alleged that on Mon-
day at M2 Ring Road, La Romaine, she
caused thewasteful employment of the
police byknowinglymaking a false re-
port that she was kidnapped by three
men.
She later appeared before JP Sandra
Soogrim-Ramsaran but was not asked
to plead to the charge. Maharaj, who
hid her face with a black veil in the
court, was represented by attorney
Subhas Panday. After being granted
own bail, Maharaj was released af-
ter she signed the bail bond docu-
ments. The offence carries amaximum
sentence on summary conviction ofa
fine of $1,000andto imprisonment for
six months.
Memo asks staff
to fork out $20
Treasury too broke to buy water, toilet paper
KEVON FELMINE
kevon.felmine@guardian.co.tt
Hard times have fallen upon
the Treasury Division. Yester-
day an internal memo sent out
to staff stated there were no
funds to purchase water, toilet
paper and paper towels.
Since last week, staff had be-
gun purchasing their own bottles
of water as the water dispensers
were running dry.
In the memo, which the T&T
Guardian obtained a copy of, act-
ing comptroller of accounts Karen
Seebaran-Timothy told staff it had
been proposed that water filters be
installed in the kitchen area as a
long term solution to having to
purchase water for the dispensers.
However, she said the installation
was at a cost and would take some
time to be done, as they will have to
get quotations before purchasing
and installing the filters.
It the meantime, it was suggest-
ed that staff in each section con-
tribute to the purchase of water to
the cost of a bottle at $20, when
the delivery van visits the office
tomorrow. The memo noted that
other ministries and department
staff were contributing to the pur-
chase of water, but if Treasury staff
was not in agreement "each per-
son will be responsible for their
supply of water, toilet paper and
paper towels."
Finance Minister Colm Imbert
was messaged and asked to con-
firm the situation and why funding
was not available for the purchase
of these items and to confirm
whether this was the situation at
other ministries and their depart-
ments. He was also asked to state
the monthly or annual expense for
such items.
In response, he said he was "not
aware of any such memo" and
would ask his permanent secre-
tary to look into the matter. By late
yesterday, however, Imbert had not
responded. The communications
department at the Ministry of Fi-
nance was also contacted for a re-
sponse but none was given.
But president of the Public Ser-
vices Association Watson Duke is
threatening to take the ministry to
court if any member complains
that he or she is being denied of
the basic items.
Duke said the Treasury Divi-
sion would be in violation of the
Occupational Safety and Health
Act, which under Section 39 and
40 mandates employers to provide
and maintain a sufficient supply
of cool, wholesome, drinking
water at suitable points that are
conveniently situated for all em-
ployees and adequate, clean and
easily accessible washing facilities
with soap and suitable hand drying
materials or devices and such other
provisions as are prescribed.
Duke said this was an "evil
move" by the Government, saying
workers were now spending most
of their time worrying about the
state of the country and whether
they will soon be without a job as
Government is seeking to retrench
people in State companies.
"Government is saying that
there is no money, but that is a lie.
The Government continues to cre-
ate signs that there is no money by
retrenching people so workers are
fearful. Government cuts all min-
istries' budget by seven percent,
by they are not paying contractors
so business people are closing up
shop and they are attacking people
in homes with property tax. Now
they have come as low as to deny
workers basic things such as toilet
paper and drinking water.
"If I see one complaint from
any member, we will take this to
a judicial review. No if, no but, no
maybe," Duke said.
Tickets in mail for traffic light breakers soon
GAIL ALEXANDER
Move over Property Tax---
Government's next big revenue
earner might be coming from
traffic fines under upcoming
Motor Vehicle legislation.
And under that law, if you break
the red light in future you may be
helping the state earn money.
Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi
piloted the legislation in the Sen-
ate yesterday to introduce a new
system of traffic violations.
He noted that revenue earned
from traffic matters over 2010 to
2016 totalled $250 million---and
that was when only 36 per cent
of people complied and paid their
"tickets."
The AG said the judiciary's 2011-
2015 report also showed there
were 120,000 traffic cases done
over that period, netting $171m in
revenue for the state. But again he
noted the compliance rate among
those who paid tickets was only
36 per cent.
Al-Rawi said the legislation
seeks to introduce a system of traf-
fic violations for certain breaches
of the law. It decriminalises road
traffic offences by converting
them to violations. However,
serious offences---blood alcohol
levels, reckless driving, causing
death---won't be decriminalised.
The legislation particularly pro-
vides for implementation of a "red
light" camera at traffic lights. If
motorists break the red light, the
camera will snap a photograph of
their vehicle's number plate. A
report will then be sent via mail
to the vehicle's owners ,along with
a notice of the breach of the law,
the photo and details of the legal
process to deal with the matter.
The legislation also introduces
a demerit point system and fixed
penalty system. It also provides for
a vehicle's owner and user of the
vehicle holding a drivers' licence to
be liable for any breach committed
via the vehicle.
Al-Rawi noted the judiciary's
recurring call for the large num-
bers of traffic matters in courts to
be handled in way that won't mo-
nopolise magistrates' time. Over
August 2010 and July 2016 there
were were 67,926 cases concern-
ing outstanding traffic matters, he
added.
"We have a situation where
people believe the criminal justice
system won't move as it's overbur-
dened," he said.
Attorney General
Faris Al-Rawi
piloting traffic
legislation during
yesterday's
sitting of the
Senate. PHOTO:
OFFICE OF THE
PARLAIMENT
Reshma Maharaj